


Sergeant Neal

by youtubes_trash



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Mental Health Issues, Military, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 14:37:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11557257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtubes_trash/pseuds/youtubes_trash
Summary: World War III has begun, and America had to start drafting and training men to go overseas. Rhett dodged the draft due to legally being too tall to join the military, but Link wasn't as lucky.What is it like to get that kind of news, and how will Rhett, Links family, and Link himself handle the situation?(This also has some relations to Buddy System.)





	1. Drafted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [icerhinks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/icerhinks/gifts).



The war had started about a year ago. America bombed Syria, incidentally killing thousands of innocent citizens, and caused the retaliation of several other countries. No one agreed with anyone but themselves after the first bombing, and it caused a full raging war overseas.

Although the war was quickly diminishing, millions of people were still being drafted out of the U.S. to fight. The age group first started with the younger males and females, ones just out of high school and college, but they quickly took upon drafting higher aged men with more life and educational experience. One of those men being Charles Lincoln Neal III.

Business was booming in mythical entertainment. The mythical beasts stuck with the men through the progression of the war, and the two couldn't be happier. No one they personally knew had been drafted, and from what they had been told, not many people in the Los Angeles area would be drafted at all. All of their employees were safe from the draft, and they continued work just as it had been before the war started. Almost none of the war had effected them whatsoever, but they continued to be there to give the mythical beasts support as their family members and friends got drafted, some sadly being lost in the war. Chaos surrounded them, but they were stuck in their own little bubble of safety. Or so they thought.

They had just finished recording the third gmm of the day, and were about to call it quits and send everyone home. It had been a very productive day of work, and the two of them sat back in their office and took some time to relax. Rhett was fiddling around with some new game on his phone, while Link sat on the sofa with arms propped back behind his head, dozing off into a nap. The office was as calm and smooth flowing as could be, until there was a knock at the door.

They usually never got any knocks on their door, and if they did it was either a prankster, a crazy fan with no sense of privacy, or a door to door salesman. Needless to say, it was never a good thing when they got a knock at the door.

Link groaned and kept his eyes shut, assuming that it was just another annoying person that had found the address to the studio, and that one of the crew members would shoo them off, but there were another 3 firm knocks on the door. Rhett glanced over at Link, and he rolled his eyes, getting up off of the comfortable office couch and heading to the door. He was about to give the person knocking a piece of his mind, aggrivated that they interrupted his attempt at a nap, but when he swung the door open his breath caught in his throat and he froze in place, door still in hand.

"Is this the workplace of, Charles Lincoln Neal the third?" One of the two soldiers standing at the door asked, and Links mouth gaped open, letting an uncomfortable silence settle before speaking.

"Yeah, yes sir. That's me." He stuttered, and at that point Rhett was stalking down the hall behind Link to meet him at the door.

"We are here to inform you that as of today, May 16th 2017, you have been drafted into the United States Army. You will have seven days to prepare and spend time with your family, and leave for basic military training on May 23rd 2017, one week from now." The man said, obviously from some practiced script, and Link was frozen in place, speechless. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked behind him Rhett was standing tall and intimidating, a stone cold look on his face as he looked at the men standing before him.

"Excuse me, but is this some kind of joke to scare us?" Rhett asked, assuming that some people who knew of them had planned a prank to scare them, and that there was probably some camera guy hiding behind a bush nearby.

"I'm sorry but this is not a joke. Here are the official draft papers. You are expected to be at your home and ready to leave in seven days, or you will face the force of the law." The other man said, and he handed a thin stack of papers over to Rhett.

Rhett took the papers and flipped through them several times, just to make sure it wasn't some kind of joke, and his heart plummeted further each time he flipped a page. It was a real legal document drafting Link into the army.

"This, this isn't right. Does he have to? Can you just take me instead?! Draft me instead, and let him stay?" Rhett argued, but he knew very well that that wasn't possible.

"We cannot do that sir. And either way, you're much too tall to be legally allowed into any branch of the military." The camouflaged man said, and Rhett crumpled the paper in his fist.

"Isn't there anything I can do?!" Rhett begged, and the men lowered their heads. He could feel Link trembling beneath his hand, and at that point the whole crew had gathered around behind them.

"There is nothing you can do. Charles will be drafted in seven days time. I suggest you enjoy what time you have left with him until he leaves." The man said, and he looked to his partner, stepping away from the door and leaving as if nothing ever happened. As if the words they just said, and the papers they just delivered hadn't crushed two men's lives.

Rhett shut the door and turned Link to face him, seeing a look he had only seen in the man few times before. The look of terror. All color had drained from his face, and the prominent frown that had curled on his lips made Rhett's heart stutter.

Link took the crumpled up papers from Rhett's hands, keeping his eyes downcast as he flipped through the pages. It was a real document, a real document that shattered Links heart to pieces and sent terror through his soul. A real document created to separate him from the ones he loved.

"It's real. I'm being drafted." Link said in a low, monotone voice, and he kept his head low, eyes on the devilish piece of paper. Everyone in the room began to silently mutter things to each other, and Rhett continued to face Link, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder yet again.

"Link, what're you thinking about brother?" Rhett asked calmly, knowing that Links brain was hardwired to pick through every detail of every situation, and find each worst case scenerio that could occur. Link was quiet, so that's what Rhett assumed the man was doing, but instead when he finally picked his head up, he looked up at Rhett, eyes brimming with tears. It definitely wasn't the first time Rhett had seen Link cry before, but it was the first time he had seen him cry in front of any group of people, especially their employees.

"Oh gosh, Link. Don't cry man, everything's gonna be ok." Rhett said, and he pulled Link into his arms, holding him tight to his chest as he began to softly cry. Link didn't even give an effort to hug him back, he just stood in Rhett's arms, motionless.

"Why, d-damnit?!" Link asked, fumbling over his words, and he finally lifted his arms and hugged Rhett with all of his might. It was terrifying, to know that you would be drafted into the war. Not only was he leaving his family, but he was leaving his job and best friend behind, and he didn't know whether or not he would ever come back, or if he did how long he would be gone for.

"I'm so sorry Link." Rhett said, and he rested his chin on Links head.

"Can we go somewhere, anywhere? Just so we can talk about this and I can have some time to think." Link asked, and Rhett loosened his grip, taking a step back from him and looking into his glossy blue, currently puffy eyes.

"Sure. I'll tell the crew to go home, and then we can figure out somewhere to go." Rhett said, and he looked over Links shoulder and at all of the crew members, still crowded on the other side of the room.

"Stevie can you-"

"I've got you Rhett. We'll finish up and head home, and I'll lock up the studio after everyone has left. Don't worry about it." Stevie said, and Rhett gave her a thankful smile.

"Ok, that makes our lives easier. Thanks." Rhett said, and she walked up to the two men.

"Don't mention it." She said, and took her short stature and wrapped her arms around Rhett, giving him a quick hug before looking over to Link.

"And I know sorry won't change anything, but I'm so sorry Link. I know you will be fine, though. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. Just, don't forget to say goodbye sometime before you leave." She said, and she leaned forward, giving Link a huge hug. He hugged her back, and when she backed away she looked up at him with a proud smile.

"I love you. We all do." She said, and Link couldn't help but crack a smile, no matter the mindset he was in.

"I love you too, Stevie." He said, and then she was off, making sure everyone finished their jobs before leaving.

Link had never felt so loved, and yet so terrified at the same time. He knew how many people loved him, but those people almost made his situation worse, because although they were supporting him, he knew he would be leaving them behind in seven days time. He just couldn't come to terms with what had happened, couldn't accept the men that showed up at the door only minutes ago, and couldn't believe the draft papers in his hands that clearly printed his name out on the front. Charles Lincoln Neal III. He was ready to wake up from his nightmare, but he knew all too well that his biggest fear had become his new reality, or would be his new reality in just seven days.

Seven days.

"How about lunch somewhere nice, and then I drive you home?" Rhett asked, and Link snapped out of his daze.

"Oh, yeah. That sounds fine." He said in an emotionless voice, not really paying much attention to what Rhett had said as his own head swarmed.


	2. A Discussion Over Lunch

The drive to the restaurant was short and quiet. Link had too much to think about, and Rhett had tried to avoid the topic and keep his eyes on the road. He was worried about Links mental state, knowing that even the smallest things could send him off the deep end. He was too much of an over evaluator, way too worrisome for his own good. He always had been, but in the case of more serious situations, he thought until he mentally tore himself to pieces, and Rhett wasn't going to allow him to do that this time.

They pulled into the parking lot, and as they got out of the car Rhett hadn't noticed how closely he had parked to the car parked beside him. He swung open his door and hit the other with a thunk, wincing as Link looked over at him in stupor. 

"What did you do?" He asked, and Rhett got out of the car, closing his door and examining the small dent he had created on the other car.

"I dinked their door." He said, and Link walked around the back of their car to go over and inspect the damage.

"It's not that noticable. Just leave it." He said, and Rhett agreed, not wanting to have to deal with whoever the owner was. He hadn't left a big enough mark for anyone to notice anyways, and there were already several other nicks and dents in the car to componsate.

The two of them then walked inside of the familiar restaurant, being led to a booth by a waiter and ordering their usuals. It was a favorite lunch place for the two of them, and they had made it a routine to eat there at least once a week.

People chattered around them, focused on their own lives while Link sat across the table from Rhett, silently playing with his wedding ring, as he so commonly would. It was unlike him to be so quiet though, especially while having a meal with someone, but the news he had gotten earlier made it an acceptable behavior. Even so, Rhett wanted him to talk so he would know what was going on inside of his head, and he wanted to be able to calm his worries if at all possible.

"Would you rather me take you home right now? I know you're upset, and I want to be able to help you man, I really do, but if you'd rather be at home I'll take you." Rhett said, and Link looked up, sliding the ring back on his finger.

"Oh, no. No I'm fine here, just thinking." He replied, and he found his straw in his drink, twirling it around and sloshing the ice against the glass of the cup.

"I know that man, but what about? What's bothering you, specifically?" He asked, and Link sighed, letting his straw fall back down into his drink as he clasped his hands together. He pressed his elbows into the table, and rested his chin on his hands.

"Seven days, Rhett. All I can think about is that I only have a week left with you guys. What do I tell the kids? 'Oh, I'm leaving in seven days, and I don't know if I'll ever come back'. Is that all there is to say? And then just make the most out of the time I have left with them? And what about you, and mythical entertainment? Are you just going to have to pull the weight of work on your own? What will you do if I don't come back?" Link asked, his mind racing and questions flying out left and right. Rhett was about to make a response, but their waiter arrived at their table with two plates of food.

"Here you guys go. Do you need anything else?" She asked kindly, and Rhett looked up at her with a warm smile.

"No, I don't think so. Thank you." He said, and she smiled as she placed the plates on the small wooden table.

"No problem. Enjoy your meals." She said, and then she walked back off into the kitchen. The two of them grabbed their utensils, and Link reluctantly took a bite of his food while Rhett dug in.

"You're treating it like a death sentence. Chances are, you aren't going to die out there, Link. I know it will be rough, and you will probably be gone for a good while, but you aren't going to die." Rhett said, and he paused for a minute, taking another bite of his food.

"And don't worry about mythical entertainment or your family, I'll take care of all of it for you. It's the least I could do." He said, and Link pushed around the food on his plate with his fork, unwilling to eat any of his meal.

"I'm not going to die... Rhett, how many people have you seen come back uninjuried, or alive? If I come back, it's either going to be shot up and injured, or in a casket draped under an American flag." Link said, and Rhett was silenced, putting his fork down on the table and looking at him.

"Link, please don't say that." Rhett said in a worried tone, and Link ran a hand through his dark, slightly silver streaked hair.

"Don't say what, Rhett? Don't say the truth? We can't just pretend that everything will work out in my favor. This is real. I have seven good days left with you guys, and no matter how much I don't want to face that fact, I have to. Don't, don't try to fill my head with fake hope that everything will be ok." Link said, and Rhett's concern for him only increased as he became more pessimistic unlike his usual self.

"I'm just trying to be optimistic. They only started drafting older men like you because they had more experience, and you have a degree in engineering. You will probably be in charge of technology or something instead of being on the front line." Rhett said, and the fact that Link was educated only slightly lightened his worries.

"I know that, but that isn't promised. There's no way of telling where I will be placed, and what will happen." Link said, and he had picked his fork back up, playing with his food yet again, his elbow pressed into the table, and his head rested against his palm.

"I just... want to hope for the best instead of the worst." Rhett said, and he sighed, watching as Link played with his nearly untouched meal.

"Why aren't you eating?" He asked, and Link looked up from his now mushed up mixture of what used to be his lunch.

"I'm not hungry, just stressed." He said, and he lowered his eyes again.

"How do I tell them?" Link asked, and he lifted his gaze, eyes digging into Rhett, pleading for an answer.

"I don't know, but you won't tell them alone. I'm here for you brother." Rhett said, and Link gave him a small smile, one that was trying to reassure Rhett that he would be ok, although he didn't even know that himself.

"Thanks." He said, and he completely gave up on his food, throwing his fork on the plate along with any napkins and straw wrappers littering the table.

"Ready to head out?" Rhett asked, and Link nodded his head, standing up from the table.

"I'll pay. Just head to the car and I'll meet you out there in a minute." Rhett said, and Link gave him a quick nod before leaving the dining area and going outside. 

Outside, it was much too hot to be standing around. May in California was always hot, along with pretty much every other month of the year, and Link tended to hate the weather. Of course he enjoyed the hot summer sun, but not when it was beating down on him nearly year round. He missed the snow, the frequent thunderstorms and rain, and the changing of seasons that he used to have back in North Carolina. He had just been back home over the winter, but he already missed it, and accepted the fact that he wouldn't be seeing it again for a long time, if he ever got to see it again at all.

He walked across the parking lot and to the car, standimg outside of it to avoid the sauna that had probably formulated inside while they were in the restaurant. Although the sun was beating down on him, and the car would provide him shade, Link decided standing outside in the sun would be better than sitting in the hot car.

Thankfully, though, Rhett only took a few minutes inside, and Link soon saw the man exiting the doors of the restaurant and crossing the parking lot. Without exchanging any words, the two of them got into the hot car. Rhett was quick to grab his keys and start the ignition, blasting the air conditioning to cool off the car, and as soon as it had cooled down, Rhett backed out of the space and left the restaurant, heading towards Links house.


	3. A Family Full of Tears

Yet again, it was another silent drive in the car for the two men. Neither wanted to talk about the fact that they were about to deliver some pretty terrible news to Links family, so they settled with the silence, not even bothering to turn on the radio. Link was nervous, his hands trembling more so than usual in his lap, and Rhett was concentrated, trying to figure out what he was going to say to Links family, if he said anything at all.

All too quickly Rhett was pulling into Links driveway, and Link could faintly hear his children playing in the backyard, running around and chasing each other. He loved their little laughs, so he opened the car door and stepped out so that he could hear them better. He leaned against the front of the car and watched as they chased each other around, big smiles on their faces, bellowing laughs echoing through the yard.

Rhett noticed that Link stepped out of the car, and saw that his attention was directed towards his kids in the back. He smiled at the thought, grabbing the legal papers from his dash and leaving the car himself. The relentless California heat met him once again, but he wasn't about to rush Link into the house just because he was hot standing outside. 

"I didn't ask... I... What prepares you for this kind of, this kind of crap?" Link asked, and he diverted his attention from the kids to turn towards Rhett.

"I don't think anything could prepare you for something like this. And as for asking, no one in their right mind would have asked for this, it was given, forced, whether you liked it or not, Link." Rhett said, and Link sighed, looking back towards his kids once more.

"Well if nothing is going to prepare me for this, then we might as well get it over with. No point in standing around, hoping that it hadn't happened." Link said, and he took his weight off of the front of Rhett's car, making his way up to the door. He walked the footpath that he had become so familiar with, the one that he trailed up nearly every day. Some spaces still had remnants of chalk art that he and his kids had drawn, still not washed away due to the lack of rain. There were cars, rainbows, little smiley faces and each of their names drawn out in different colors. Lincoln had fought for the blue chalk, while Lando settled with the white, and Lily chose a light pink. Christy had drawn hers in red, and Link followed by putting his in green beside it, also adding a small green heart inbetween. The kids had made weird faces and chanted the words 'eww' after noticing it, but Christy had smiled, planting a kiss on Links cheek and thanking him for it.

Rhett now looked down at the art surrounding his feet himself, not knowing it's backstory, but smiling as he saw each of their names drawn across the concrete tiles. Link had paused for only a moment to observe the fading art, then cautiously stepping over it and up onto the porch of his home. Rhett followed in suit, also making sure to avoid the art as he walked. 

He stood behind Link, watching as he reached out a hand and slowly, anxiously, grabbed the doorknob. No man should ever feel scared to go into his own home, but there Link was, trembling as he turned the handle and gently pushed the door open. It only made a subtle noise, one that wouldn't be easily noticed during the day. Small squeaks of doors or cabinets always bothered Link, so it wasn't a surprise that his door opened smoothly, and hardly made a noise at all.

Link stepped inside first, and Rhett took the door from him, stepping inside after him and closing it with a quiet thud. The house was almost eerily silent as the kids played out back, but light footsteps could be heard making their way down the hall. Christy turned the corner, a kitchen towel in hand and a warm, yet surprised smile on her face.

"Oh, Link! You're home early. And Rhett, you're here too? What're you guys doing here, it's only around." She placed the towel on the counter and looked down at her watch to check the time.

"Wow! It's only 1 in the evening." She said, and her voice was upbeat, happy even, along with her light mood and joyful smile.

"What're y'all doing just standing there at the door? Come in, stay awhile." She said, and when she looked at the men again, seeing their faces full of anything but joy, her smile creased downward, and her mood plummeted like a stone in water.

"Link, Rhett, what's wrong? Is everything alright?" She asked in a concerned tone, and Link looked over to Rhett, gently taking the crumpled up papers from his hands. Christy raised an eyebrow at them, and Link stepped forward, head low as he handed over the awful documents.

She looked up at her husband, cautiously taking the papers from his hands as she did so. She was confused as to why they were so upset, since it definitely wasn't a usual behavior for the two of them, especially not when they were together. It worried her, and she looked down at the papers in her hands, only having to graze over the first page to get all of the information she needed.

Charles Lincoln Neal III

Draft

Seven Days

She dropped the papers to the floor and put her hands over her mouth in a gasp, her heart leaping into her throat, which felt as it was constricting her from getting air. Tears burned her eyes, and she felt arms around her, long, comforting, loving arms. She put her face into Links chest and gasped for air, then choking out a sob as she hugged him back. She felt like her world was being crushed, but at the same time she felt safe in the arms of the man she loved. The man that would leave her in seven days.

"N-no, Link!" She sobbed, and he rested his chin on the top of her head, burying himself in her beautiful blond hair.

"I'm sorry baby. I'm so sorry." He hummed, and Rhett stood behind him, resting a comforting hand on his back to show him that he was there if he needed him. They stood that way in the middle of the kitchen for a long, long while, but eventually the kids noticed the absence of their mother going out to check on them, and they all opened the back door and piled inside.

"Mom, Lando was- Mom? Mom are you ok?" Lincoln asked, and all of the kids calmed down, looking at the scene that had unfolded in their kitchen. Christy kept her face buried into Links chest, and Link opened his eyes to look up to Rhett, asking for his help. It took no words for Rhett to understand what he wanted, and he left the kitchen, joining the kids in the living area and ushering them outside.

"Wait Rhett I don't want to go outside! What's wrong with mom and dad?!" Lily asked, and she tried to fight against him. She was so much like her father, stubborn as a mule.

"I'll tell you when we get outside, they just need some time alone sweety." Rhett said, and she crossed her arms, stomping outside like the unruly teenager she had become. He followed behind her and the boys, closing the door behind him. He looked at their parents in the kitchen one last time. Link was rocking Christy back and forth, probably muttering apologies and comforting words to try and ease her worries. He was a great husband, and an even better father.

"Rhett you said you would tell us what was wrong with mom and dad!" Lily said, annoyed, and Rhett turned to the three of them, each having subtle features exactly like their fathers.

"I'm going to tell you, but please don't have an attitude with me. Me and you're father haven't had the best day, and we don't need you making anyone's lives harder." Rhett said in a firm, but kind tone, and Lily huffed.

"Well I don't even know why you're here, and I shouldn't have to tiptoe around you because you two had a bad day. I don't care if you had a bad day at work, I just want to know what's going on." She said, and Rhett sighed, rubbing a hand across his face and raking his fingers through his hair.

"He got some bad news, really bad news. I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but I know your parents don't want to be the ones to either. I'm not going to beat around the bush about it, you guys are old enough to understand." He said, and they all gave him confused looks. They could tell he wasn't joking around anymore, because Rhett was never serious around them, or anyone for that matter.

"Understand what?" Lando asked, and the concern that laced his blue eyes, just like his fathers, tore through Rhett.

"You know how there's been a war going on for awhile now, and because of it some people are being asked to go fight for us in the war? That's called being drafted. You're dad was drafted today, they showed up at work to tell him." Rhett said, and the kids sat in shock. Lily knew much more about the war since she was older and learning about it in school, but the boys were a bit bewildered, especially when Lily's jaw dropped and her eyes became watery.

"Lils, why are you crying? Dad can just say no, right? He doesn't have to leave does he?" Lincoln asked, and Rhett lowered his head. He wanted so badly to be able to tell them that everything would be ok, and that Link could simply say no and stay with them, but he couldn't. Rhett would give anything to have the power to keep Link there with his family, with him, but it wasn't that easy, nothing ever was. He picked up his head and looked at Lily, who immediately ran forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, just as her mother had done to Link.

"Dads gonna be a soldier?" Lando asked, and Rhett nodded his head. Lincoln still sat in shock, but Lando was younger, and the thought of his dad being a soldier was awesome to him.

"That's cool!" He cheered, and Rhett sighed. He wanted to believe it was cool too, but he knew it definitely wasn't, and he was going to have to relay that to Lando, and ruin the smile that had spread across his face.

"It does sound pretty cool buddy, but that means your dad is gonna be gone for a long, long time, and you won't be able to see him." He said, and Landos smile fell, sending a dagger through Rhett's heart.

"How long will he be gone?" He asked, and his eyes began to water, his little bottom lip starting to jut out.

"I don't know, bud. A long time. Come here." He said, and he used a hand motion telling him to come over. Lando then charged over just like Lily had, and he clambored around the other side of Rhett, burying his face into his side.

"I don't want daddy to go!" He cried, and Rhett wrapped his other arm around his back. He hadn't called Link daddy for years.

Lincoln still stood in place, fists clenched at his sides and eyes watering. He wanted to be tough, wanted to be strong for his siblings, but Rhett could see the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

"It's ok Lincoln, you can cry. Come here." Rhett said, and Lincoln hesitated, waiting a few moments before he broke his stance, and he walked forward and wrapped his arms around Rhett.

"It's ok guys. It's gonna be ok." Rhett hummed, and he kept his arms encircled around the kids, each crying and tearing at Rhett's heart little by little. He wanted to help so badly, but helping in that situation was out of his power. The only thing that could help them was somehow finding a way for Link to stay, but he couldn't.


	4. I'll Be Strong For You

The kids eventually calmed down and went back inside to see their father, bombarding him with questions he didn't know the answers to.

_How long will you be gone?_

_Can we call you?_

_Can we write you letters?_

_Will you get to play with guns?_

Rhett smiled at the last question, that one being Landos. _Play with guns_ was a light way to put it. Link mostly dodged the questions though, effectively trying to move on from the topic and ignore the questions he so badly wanted to know the answers to himself. The way he worked so well with his kids, and how he so easily got them to forget everything bad and just smile and laugh, it almost seemed like everything was normal. Rhett felt like he had walked into a typical evening in the Neal household, but when he looked into Links eyes, he had known those eyes for too long to not be able to tell something was wrong. There was a strong connection between the two of them, some would say too strong, and even through the glance of an eye, or a slightly deterred body movement, they could tell when something was wrong with one another. And with this, Rhett could look straight through Links eyes and see the dread within him. The fear. He was a good actor, but not good enough to fool Rhett.

"Alright guys, I think I'm gonna head out. Jessies probably wanting me home with the boys by now." Rhett said, and everyone said their brief goodbyes, then turning their attention back to whatever they were laughing about. Christy gave him a quick hug, thanking him for helping out with the kids and being there for Link, and he assured her that it wasn't a problem at all, and he was more than happy to help.

As he left to go walk out the door, Link chased behind him, grabbing the door before he could get it closed. He stepped outside on the porch, gently closing the door and looking up at Rhett.

"Leaving before I could say goodbye?" Link asked, and Rhett chuckled.

"Of course, always finding a way to avoid you." He said, and Link smiled.

"I can't blame ya for it. I'd be trying to avoid me too." Link replied.

"But seriously, you could've stayed for longer man, no one was kicking ya out brother." Link said, and his smiley peppy tone deepened to a slightly more serious one.

"I know that, I just wanted to give you some time with your family. You don't have much of that left." Rhett said, and Link sighed, leaning against the front of his house.

"I know, it sucks. Thanks again, for telling them. I couldn't have done it." Link said, and Rhett frowned.

"You could've, but it would have been a lot more rough." Rhett replied.

"A lot more rough, maybe. But I was handling it fine in there, we were all laughing and messing around, having fun."

"They were all laughing and messing around, you were faking it, Neal." Rhett said, and Link pressed his lips together into a near frown.

"What makes you think that?" He asked, and he stood up tall again, raising his eyebrows in questioning.

"You're a good faker, but not good enough to fool me. You know they wouldn't think any less of you if you a showed them how you were actually feeling." Rhett said, and Link crossed his arms, getting slightly frustrated with the man.

"Why do you find it so hard to believe that I was actually fine in there?" Link asked, and Rhett could have laughed.

"Because I know you man, Ive known you for over thirty years, and I've seen that look before. You shouldn't be afraid to cry, shouldn't have to hold it in man." Rhett said, and Link opened his mouth, quickly shutting it because he had nothing to respond with.

"Lincoln was the same way. Lily and Lando came up to me and started bawling, but Lincoln stood there tryna act tough, just like you brother." Rhett said, and Link raised his head a little.

"He did?" He asked, and Rhett nodded his head.

"He sure did. But I told him it was ok to be upset, and he came running up to me too." Rhett said, and he took a step closer to Link.

"I don't want to cry." He replied, bluntly, but Rhett continued to be calm with him.

"Why?" He asked, and Link reached his hand up to nudge his glasses further up onto his nose.

"Because I want to be strong for them, I have to be. I can't just start bawling like a baby, it would freak them out." Link said, and Rhett could see the tears starting to pool in his eyes.

"But they would understand, its best not to give it to them lightly, or they will be hurt when it all hits them at once. You can't always be strong for them, sometimes someone else has to be strong for you, Link." Rhett said, and Link lowered his gaze, finding his brown boots to be of much more interest to him than Rhett's concerned eyes.

"What about when I'm gone?" He asked, and Rhett reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"That's when you have to be strong for them, because you're gonna be alone out there. That's why you have to get it all out now, because you'll regret it if you dont. I hate to say this, but I won't be there for you, I can't be. Out there, it's all you." Rhett said, and Link let out a shaky sigh. He lifted his head to look at Rhett again, noticing that he was much closer than before.

"Are you gonna cry?" Rhett asked in a quiet, soft voice, and Links watery blue eyes looked directly into Rhett's strong, vibrant greens.

"No... maybe." He said, and his voice was weak as he started to choke up.

"C'mere." Rhett said to him, and he reached his arms out, just for Link to tumble into them, arms squeezing around the taller mans waist.

"W-why'd you have to m-make me cry? I w-was fine." Link mumbled into his shirt, his voice strained and slightly slurred, just as it usually would be when he got upset.

"You needed to cry, man. You can thank me later." Rhett said, and Link pushed further into him.

"N-no." He said, but instead of backing away, he balled the back of Rhett's shirt into his fists and held onto him tighter. Even though he was basically bawling into Rhett's shirt and clinging onto him for dear life, he was still as stubborn as a mule, and he refused to admit that he needed to cry, and that he actually needed Rhett more than ever. Rhett didn't mind though, he actually smiled, knowing that Link was still the same good ol' stubborn Link.

"I-It's not fair!" He cried, and Rhett held him closer as he started to slowly fall apart in his arms, the only arms he was willing to fall apart in.

"I know... I know." Rhett whispered, and Link cried. He cried harder than he had in the office earlier that day, and cried harder than Rhett had ever seen him cry, but it was short lasted. He soon calmed down, within minutes, but when Rhett tried to pull away, Link held him tighter.

"Oh, so all of a sudden you need me now?" Rhett said with a light heart, and Link nodded into his chest.

"Yes. I admit it, are you happy? Don't leave me yet." Link said, and Rhett was happy. He knew there was nothing in the world that would have pulled him away from Link, because he had to be strong for him, and by God he would do everything in his power to be there for him while he still could be.

"I'm not going anywhere." Rhett said, and Link settled into his arms, much less tense than before, his own arms lazily handing around Rhett's torso. At first, he hadn't wanted to cry, but Rhett always knew what was right, somehow, he always did, and Link felt much better, much more relieved than before, like a small weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

 


	5. Four Against One

Rhett and Link stood on that porch together for a long time. Rhett usually wasn't a very touchy person, and Link respected that, never getting too close to the man or too huggy around him, despite his own clingy personality. He gave Rhett his space, and Rhett gave Link his closeness when he needed it. They had found that comfortable medium long ago, and what they were doing had way surpassed it. Rhett would have pushed him off way sooner in any other situation, but Link was calm and relaxed, and he knew the man wouldn't have many moments like that left, so he let him stay in his arms. He had promised to be there for him, and pushing him out of a hug definitely wasn't acceptable for that, at least not in Rhett's mind.

Link was usually a very figity person, way too easily stressed out, and always worrying about something, but as he stood there, he was as calm as he could possibly be, and Rhett let him have that while he still could.

"I guess I can't just stand here forever and wish for all my problems to melt away, can I?" Link asked, interrupting the soothing silence that had settled between them.

"No, not forever." Rhett said, and Link sighed.

"But for how much longer?" He asked, and he looked up at Rhett, who had a plain, but calm look on his face.

"That's up to you, I'm not leaving if you don't want me to." Rhett said, and Link gave him a smirk.

"I know you won't leave, but that doesn't mean I should stand here forever and act like you can protect me." Link said, and he lifted his head up and tried to back away, but Rhett pulled him back in with a tight hug, taking Link by surprise with the foreign action.

"What was that for?" Link asked, and Rhett let go of him, letting him back away and stand on his own again.

"That was a hug for me, man." Rhett said, and Link chuckled.

"Aww man a hug for you? You're not getting soft on me, are ya?" Link asked, and Rhett bellowed out a laugh.

"Maybe a little." He said, and Link smiled. It was already hard enough for Links protective walls to be broken down, but Rhett was a whole different story. It was ten times harder to get through Rhett, and Link smiled as he became a little bit of a softy for him.

"Sorry about that, I know you don't like hugging and stuff." Link said, and he scratched the back of his neck in the moment of temporary awkwardness.

"It's fine, I let you stay there for a reason. That's the last time for a long time that you're gonna get to break down like that, you know that, right?" Rhett asked, and Link sighed.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Thanks for kind of, well forcing me into it." Link said, and silence fell between them again, although it didn't last long. Rhett's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly pulled it out, revealing a text from Jessie.

"She's wondering where I'm at, I haven't talked to her all day." Rhett said, and he sent her a quick text back saying that he was over at Links and would be home soon.

"Oh gosh, sorry man. Don't let me hold you up, go ahead home. I'm fine now." Link said, and his tone had perked up from the calm, gentle one he had before.

"You sure?" Rhett asked, and Link gave him a smile, one that Rhett could tell was real.

"Yeah, definitely. I'm going to go hang out with the kids and Christy, probably have an ultimate movie night with them or something. Just text me later so that we can get together and figure out something for work tomorrow, a video announcing that I'll be gone or something." Link said, and his quick change of mood made Rhett smile. He could bounce right back from nearly anything, it was a strong personality trait that most people didn't have.

"Alright man, see you later." Rhett said, and he pulled Link into a half hug, patting him on the back a few times before letting go and heading down the footpath. Link watched as he walked down to his car, and he didn't leave the porch until Rhett backed out of the driveway, and his car had disappeared down the road.

After a few seconds of Rhett's car dissapearing, Link felt safe to open his door and go back inside. He felt much happier than before, almost lighter, and he walked into his house with a smile and much better attitude, greeting his wife in the kitchen.

"Hey, you were out there for awhile. Everything ok?" She asked, and he smiled, putting his arms around her waist.

"Everything's fine, Rhett just wanted to talk to me." He said, and he leaned down, cheerily giving her a kiss on the lips, smiling through it.

"He must have been 'just talking' about something pretty amazing to make you this happy, or is that explained by the 15 minute bro hug on the porch?" She asked with a smirk, and Link let out a chuckle.

"So you saw that?" He asked, and she nodded her head.

"Sure did. I sent the kids upstairs after I noticed you wouldn't be in for awhile, and when I peeked through the window y'all were just standing there hugging. What was that all about?" She asked, but it wasn't in an accusatory tone, just out of curiosity.

"I told him I was fine, and he basically called me a liar. Said I was a good actor, but not good enough to fool him, and he had me bawling like a baby. It's crazy, how good it felt, to cry? I hadn't wanted to, but after he made me I felt so much better for some reason." Link said, and he was so happy and energetic that Christy was convinced he could go run a marathon.

"It's good to cry sometimes, and whatever happened out there, I'm glad it did happen. You're happy, and whatever it takes for him to do to get you that way I'm more than ok with." Christy said, and she reached up, pecking him on the lips again.

"So am I." He said, and he let go of his wife's waist, then looking over at the kitchen table littered with nerf guns. An idea popped into his head, and he reached over to grab the biggest gun he could find, then loading it with as many bullets as he could fit and cocking it.

"What're you doing with that loaded inside of the house? I though you said there was no playing with them inside." Christy said with a giggle, and Link had an evil grin spread across his face.

"I'm a hypocrite. Breaking my own rules every once in a while is necessary to have a little fun." Link said in a light hearted voice, and Christy crossed her arms and shook her head, smiling all the while.

"You're such a kid sweety." She said, and he gave her a toothy grin.

"Being a kid is fun. Much easier than being an adult, if you ask me." He said, and he looked around the room, as if trying to find something.

"Where did you say the kids were?" He asked, and Christy leaned her back against the counter, excited to see how the scene played out.

"Up in the boys room playing Xbox. Don't fail me, now." She said, and Link looked at her, giving her a quick nod before he walked towards the stairs. Luckily, his stairs didn't creak, just like his door, and his steps up the stairs were soft and silent, the only noise being of his own breathing and the cloths ruffling against his skin. He cautiously held the multicolored gun in hand and crept down the hall, heading towards the much more noisy boys room, filled with the screams of children, sound effects of games, and mashing of controller buttons.

As he made it to the door he stopped, pressing his back against the wall beside it and peering over. All of them had their attention glued to screen in front of them, and that gave Link the perfect chance to make his move. He pounced out in front of the door with a yell, shooting his oldest son in the head and causing him to swivel around on the floor and look at the doorway. Each of them screamed, scrambling around the room in attempt to dodge the foam bullets that were now flying towards them.

"There's nowhere to hide in here!" Lily screamed, and she grabbed a pillow, tossing it at her father. Link dodged, and the soft blue mass tumbled to the floor in the hallway behind him.

"Guys, our guns are downstairs! Run past him and get the guns!" Lincoln yelled, and Lando took it upon himself to sneak up on Link, throwing a heavy comforter over his head and charging past him. Lily and Lincoln chased behind him, high fiving him and cheering as they stomped past their father and down the stairs like a herd of elephants.

"Oh, I'm really gonna get you guys now!" Link yelled, and each of them squealed as their father ran down the stairs after them. The amount of noise they were making in the house was atrocious, but no one seemed to mind as the whole family stomped and screamed, voices echoing through the halls.

By the time Link made it down the stairs, the kids were armed and ready, hiding behind couches and tables as protection against Links bullets. Everyone silent though, nothing but the sounds of their heavy breathing until Lincoln yelled.

"NOW!" He screamed, and everyone popped up from behind the furniture, bombarding Link with bullets. He chuckled and tried to dodge them, failing miserably and getting shot across every inch of his body, including in his mouth. He spit the bullet out and hid behind the kitchen counter, grabbing the bullets that were shot at him and had landed on the floor, reloading them into his gun. The kids continued to shoot, even though they weren't able to reach him in the kitchen, and none of them seemed to notice as Christy popped around the corner with a video camera in hand.

Once Links gun was fully reloaded he charged out into the living room again, despite the fact that there was no chance in him winning the battle. He was pelted once again, all of them screaming and laughing as they shot their dad who was helplessly standing in the middle of the room.

"This isn't fair! I need someone to be on my team, guys!" Link complained, and when he turned around to grab more bullets, he saw Christy standing in the hall, giggling behind a video camera.

"You're recording my miserable attempt at a nerf war instead of helping me?!" He asked, and she began to laugh even harder, the camera shaking in her hands.

"Oh that's it, I'm taking you as a captive!" He yelled, and he ran towards her, grabbing her and swiftly picking her up bridal style. She let out a yelp in surprise, and Link fought through the continued flying bullets as he walked towards the couch.

"Kids, help me!" She screamed, still trying to aim the camera towards them, and Link gently placed her on the couch, only then to be pummeled by three children and taken to the ground.

"Got him!" Lincoln cheered, and he sat down ontop of his father's chest, making him gasp at the sudden weight ontop of him.

"Lando you get his feet, I'll get his arms!" Lily ordered, and Lando ran down to Links feet and pinned them to the ground, Lily at the same time pinning down his wrists.

"Mom, tickle him!" Lincoln yelled, and Links eyes widened.

"No! Don't tickle him!" Link yelled, but Christy had already put the camera down and was walking towards them.

"No Christy, mercy please! Anything but tickling!" Link begged, but she had an evil glare in her eye, and she was determined. She reached down towards him, placing two hands on his sides and prodding her fingers into them, causing Link to gasp for air and let out a chuckle.

"It wasn't even a fair fight, I surrender! Let me free!" Link pleaded, and he tried to roll out from under the kids, but they hardly budged. Then, Christy started her tickle attack on him, and Link spouted out in laughter. The kids soon joined in, and they all had Link laughing and rolling on the floor, begging for mercy.

"I-I oh gosh! Guys, I-I can't, can't even b-breathe!" He laughed, and he curled up into a ball, trying to protect every ticklish spot on his body as much as he possibly could.

"P-please!" He wheezed in laughter, and Christy stopped tickling and stepped out.

"Alright, alright. I think your dad has had enough." Christy said, and the kids finally backed away from Link, leaving him a laughing teary eyed mess on the floor.

"You guys-" Link said, and he tried to catch his breath.

"You all suck!" He said, and they all started to laugh as Link picked himself up off of the floor and tried to straighten himself out from the mess he was after the attack.

"And you, you recorded it! And didn't even help! What kind of, malicious wife are you?!" He joked, and Christy only laughed, putting the camera back into the place where it belonged on the shelf.

"You had the upper hand, at first, and I had to help out my kids. Plus, how could I turn up the opportunity to get you pinned down and tickled to death?" She asked, and Link ran a hand through his hair, trying to fix the mess he had made of it while rolling around on the floor.

"Touché." He said, and all of the kids ran around him and through the house, picking up the nerf darts that littered the floor after the battle. Link fell back onto the couch, exhausted after the battle and the tickle attack, plus the long stressful day that led up to it. He put his arms behind his head, leaning back with a relieved sigh and resting his eyes. Sleep called his name as he rested on the soft couch, but he fought away sleep and kept himself awake, still wanting to have an ultimate movie night with his family.

Luckily he didn't have much time to fall asleep anyways, because the kids were still as loud as could be, jumping onto the couch beside him after cleaning up the mess.

 


	6. Hours Are Shorter Than Days

You think seven days is short, until you're then given only two hours.

The family did exactly what Link had wanted. After cleaning up the nerf war mess throughout the house, they all got changed into their pajamas and sat together in the living room, an assortment of snacks and pizza surrounding them. It was an ultimate movie night, something that didn't happen too often, but when it did, it was an occasion to remember. They would stay up past their bed times, eat all of the junk food they could possibly fit into their stomachs, and watch some of their favorite movies together.

Once starting the first movie, they barely got through it without falling asleep. Usually they would watch several films before getting droopy eyed, but the nerf battle exhausted them, and by the time they were halfway through the second movie everyone had fallen asleep together on the couch, except for Christy. She smiled at the sight of her family sleeping together, snapping a quick picture on her phone before draping a blanket over each of them, turning off the tv, and quietly going upstairs to her bedroom. She would have woken them all up and sent then to their rooms, but it was all too precious to disturb.

They all slept comfortably on the rather small couch together after the exhaustion hit them. Link was in the middle, Lily tucked up under his right arm, her head resting on his chest as she slept, and Lincoln had found it most comfortable to lay down across his father's lap. Lando on the other hand rested his head on the arm of the couch, straying away from the group to get a bit of space of his own. Somehow they had all managed to fit on the couch together, and none of them budged until the next morning.

It was early, almost too early for the sun to be risen in the sky, but the bright orange orb had barely peaked over the horizon and shone through the windows of the Neal household. The light from the sun wasn't enough to wake them, but the knocks on the door were. Three firm knocks on the door, and no one was disturbed out of their sleep. Three more even louder firm knocks, and Link awoke with a groan, at first confused as to what was going on, and where he was. It only took him seconds to remember that he had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie with the kids as he looked around him. Kids strewn across the couch, one on his lap, the other under his arm, and the last on the other side of the couch, not liking being touched in his sleep. Link watched his kids sleeping, and a big grin grew on his face.

Three more firm knocks interrupted the moment.

The smile faded away, and Link was hit with confusion yet again, curious as to who would even think about knocking on his door at that time in the morning. He didn't want to wake the kids, but the only way for him to get up off of the couch was to move them. He gently moved Lily off of his side, then lifting Lincolns whole upper body off of his lap before he could stand up. Both of them had woken up at that point, and they looked up at their father with sleepy eyes.

Three more knocks on the door, followed by a voice.

"There must be someone in there, come open the door." The voice of a man echoed, and Link furrowed his brows, walking through the kitchen and to the front door. Lily got up and followed behind him.

Once he reached the door he unlocked the deadbolt, then turning the knob and pulling it open. First he was blinded by the bright California sunrise, but his eyes quickly adjusted, and his heart sunk like a stone. Two soldiers were standing at his door.

"What do you want now?" He asked, and he tried to act firm with them, tough, but his hands shook and his voice trembled. Lily froze behind her father, looking over his shoulder to see the men standing at the door.

"You are to go to training camp today. Here is a uniform, the bus will be here to pick you up in two hours exactly." One of the men said, and he pushed a heap of camouflage clothing into Links hands, topped by a pair of shiny black boots.

"MOM!" Lily shrieked, and she turned around and ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her, startling the boys in the living room and causing them to look into the kitchen where their father was standing.

"No, no wait you don't understand. I was supposed to leave in seven days as of yesterday. I shouldn't be leaving until next week." Link said nervously, and he looked behind him where his wife and daughter had run back down the stairs, Christy looking at bewildered and tired, still dressed in pajamas with blonde hair sticking up every which way.

"That's not your decision to make, sir, and it's not ours either. We follow whatever rules are made for us, and you'd better learn to do that too." The other man said, and they turned on the heels of their boots, their backs then facing Link. He stood motionless at the door, watching as they walked down his footpath, and he felt as though he could faint. Everything happy that he held onto started crashing down, and he dug his nails into the pile of clothing in his hands. What the hell was he supposed to do with two hours?

"Lin-"

"Call Rhett." He said blankly, interrupting his wife's concerned tone. He continued to watch the men until they got into their military jeep and left his driveway, and until then he hadn't realized that he was holding his breath for the majority of the time. Christy could be heard pacing the floor in the background, frantically talking to Rhett over the phone, and Link couldn't get himself to move from his spot.

"Dad, are you ok?" Lily asked, and Link hadn't even realized she had snuck up behind him again.

"Yeah, yeah sweety I'm fine. You heard what they said, didn't you?" He asked in dissapointed voice, and he turned around to face her, seeing her nodding her head shyly.

"Can they really make you leave today?" She asked, and he gave her a weak smile, kneeling down to her level.

"Unfortunately yes, but it's going to be ok. I don't think your brothers know yet though, do you want to help me tell them?" He asked, and Lily nodded her head. Link stood up straight again, resisting the urge to fall to the floor and curl up into a ball as he did so. Lily took his hand, and she led the way to the living room where the boys were watching their mother anxiously pace the floor. They quickly noticed that their father had joined them in the room, and they looked up to him, worried, and pleading for answers.

"Dad, what's going on?" Lincoln asked, and he was stern, but it was blatantly obvious that he was still worried.

"There was a change in plans, I guess. Instead of leaving next week, I have to leave today." Link said, and Lincoln showed immediate anger.

"What?! That's not fair!" He yelled, and he stood up from the couch, as if he were trying to size up to his father.

"I know it's not fair, but it's not my choice Lincoln." Link said calmly, trying to calm down Lincoln with his own voice, but his method didn't seem to work whatsoever.

"Why isn't it your choice? Do they not care about you?! Don't you have, have some kind of rights?!" Lincoln asked, and he held clenched fists at his sides. Link wondered when he grew up so much, became so much more mature. Rights were something everyone was supposed to have as an American citizen, but it was the government's right to make him fight for the country, and for the freedoms everyone within it had.

"Lincoln please calm down, we can't do anything to change what's happening, and being angry isn't going to fix anything." Link said, but Lincoln had a glare in his eye that told Link he wasn't going to give up that easily. 

"Those bastards!" He yelled, and Link jumped in shock.

"Lincoln watch your- Lincoln!" He yelled, and his son was already halfway to the door. He threw down the cloths he was holding in his hands and ran after him, everyone else in the living room watching in shock. Christy had finished her phone call with Rhett because he was almost at the house, and she ran out of the living room, watching as Link chased their furious, determined son out the front door.

"LINCOLN STOP!" Link yelled, and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him through their front yard. They must have looked like they lived in a mad house as they ran around screaming in their pajamas at such a time in the morning, but Link could care less about what anyone else thought, he cared only about stopping his son.

Luckily, his long legs provided him with more speed, and right before Lincoln made it to the road in front of their house he had grabbed his arm, halting him to a stop. He tried to pull away, but Link was much stronger, and he pulled him towards his chest, holding him there as he kicked and screamed, trying to break free of his father's grasp.

"I'M TRYING TO STOP THEM, LET ME GO!" He screamed, but Link held him tighter, not daring to let go of his son.

"You can't stop them Lincoln, you can't! Just calm down!" Link yelled, and when he looked up from his frantic son he saw an all too familiar car pulling into the driveway. Rhett hardly parked before he had jumped out of the car, running towards Link to watch the scene that was unfolding in the yard. Lincoln was still fighting against Link, and he was trying desperately to keep hold of him. 

"Lincoln!" Rhett yelled, and the boy stopped kicking, stopped screaming, and looked over to the tall man standing above him. His eyes were filled with tears, wet streaks going down his face, and when he fought to get away from Link again, Link let go, and he let him run straight to Rhett.

"They are taking him Rhett! You h-have to help me! They can't take him!" Lincoln screamed, hiccupping in his own voice, begging Rhett to help. He pulled onto his arm as he attempted to knock him out of his stance and through the yard, but it was no use. Rhett stayed put, knelt down into the still moist morning grass, and gave Lincoln the most serious, truthful, and comforting look that he possibly could.

"Lincoln, there's nothing we can do. If I could do something to keep your dad here, you know I would do it in a heartbeat, but there's nothing we can do. He has to go buddy, the government says so." Rhett said in a firm tone, and Lincolns eyes began to water again, tears pooling into the eyes that looked so much like his fathers. He got closer to Rhett and wrapped his arms around him, finally calming down and burying his face into his chest, crying.

Link was still sitting in the wet grass, silently thanking Rhett for always knowing what to say and do in every situation. He had never seen his son so mad, rather than using profanities in his presence, and he was glad that Rhett was able to calm him back down to the kid he knew and loved.

Lily, Lando, and Christy had been watching from the porch, and as Link sat in the yard, lost as to what he was supposed to do, Christy quietly told the kids to stay put, and she crossed down through the yard towards Link.

Link had been looking over at Lincoln and Rhett when Christy made it to him, and when he looked over, he saw his wife holding out a hand to help him up. He hesitated for only a moment, then taking his wife's hand and allowing her to help lift him up off of the grass.

Once he was up he dusted himself off, and Christy looked at him with glossy, worried eyes.

"What are they going to do without you honey? What are we going to do?" She asked in a low, shaky voice, and Link looked over to Rhett, who was down in the grass, holding his finally calming down son.

"I'm relying on Rhett, for you guys." Link said, and he ran a shaky hand through his hair, still hyped up on adrenaline from fighting against Lincoln.

"It's gonna be hard on him too honey, we can't just put it all on him." Christy said, worried, and Link smiled.

"We aren't putting anything on him, trust me. He's gonna be clinging onto you guys like his life depends on it." Link said, and Christy accepted that answer, leaning her head on his shoulder with a heavy sigh.


	7. Goodbye, Neal

By the time everyone had calmed down and made it back inside of the house, there was only about an hour left until Link would have to leave. He knew that it would be probably feel like the shortest hour of his life, so he tried to rush around and make the best of it.

He ran back into the living room where he had dropped his uniform on the ground while chasing Lincoln, then frantically running around the house calling Rhett's name until he found him upstairs, sitting with the kids in Lily's bedroom. He turned around corner, clothes in hand while trying to catch his breath, and Rhett turned to him after he realized he was at the door.

"I'm about to go get ready and change into this, can you help me out, Rhett?" He asked, still panting from running all the way up the long flight of stairs.

"Do you really need help getting dre- nevermind." Rhett said, quickly realizing that Link didn't want him to help him get dressed, but to talk to him in private while he was changing, away from the kids. He got up off of Lily's bed, leaving the kids in the room right as Christy entered behind him.

"Where are you going?" She asked softly, and Rhett looked down at Link, waiting for him to answer her question, since it was more directed towards him.

"I'm going to get changed into this uniform and talk to Rhett, I won't be long though." He said, and he leaned down and pecked her on the lips. Usually she would smile and kiss him back, but she was left with nothing but a frown on her face. Not because of Link, of course, but because he was getting ready to leave her and the kids for who knew how long, and she couldn't find it in herself to be happy.

The two of them then went down the hall and into the master bedroom that he shared with Christy, Link closing the door behind them and throwing the uniform on the bed. Rhett watched as he threw the cloths down and proceeded to anxiously run around the room, searching for the whatever he needed to get ready. It didn't end up being much of anything, though, only grabbing some pomade and a razor out of the room. 

He then went into the bathroom, leaving the door open as an invitation for Rhett to join him if he chose to do so. He grabbed the shaving cream and coated his salt and pepper stubble with it, starting to shave, and Rhett walked up behind him, watching through the doorway of the bathroom behind him. 

"What did you want me to come in here with you for?" Rhett asked, and Link looked at him through his reflection in the mirror, raking shaving cream off of his chin.

"I wanted to talk to you." Link said, and then he put the razor down and turned the faucet on, splashing water up onto his face to clean off the remainder of shaving cream.

"Well you aren't doing much talking, and you don't have much time to do it either buddyroll." Rhett said, and Link sighed, taking his overly shaky hands and running them through his hair, using the pomade they had recently produced and started selling in their store.

"I'm sorry, I've just got too much on my mind, and not enough time to sort through it all. I wanted to make a quick video or something for the mythical beasts, so they know why I'm all of a sudden dissapearing for who knows how long. Do you have your phone on you?" Link asked, and he walked past Rhett and back into the room, pulling his night pants off and throwing them to the side on the floor.

"Yeah, what do you want me to do for it, or say? I don't really know what you're asking for here man." Rhett said, and he pulled his phone out of his pocket, going through and opening his camera app.

"We don't have time to plan anything out, just let me put my pants on and hit record." Link said, and he pulled the camo pants up onto his waist, giving Rhett the ok to start. He hit record, and not even two seconds later Link nearly stumbled over himself while trying to adjust the new pants around his ankles.

"These things suck." He said, and he looked over to Rhett, who was pointing the phone camera towards him.

"I'm recording." Rhett said, and Link raised a brow and gave him a smirk.

"You think I don't know that?" He asked with a chuckle, and he grabbed the hem on his oversized night shirt, pulling it off over his head and throwing it to the side, landing it beside his previously thrown pants.

"Well mythical beasts, as you can see Link is changing into a military uniform right now. That's because he was drafted to join the Army, and he's leaving in about an hour." Rhett said, and Link looked back over at him as he threw his shirt on and began to button it up.

"So we have to make a video really quickly for you guys before I leave, and it's all off the script and unplanned, so forgive us for that." Link said, and he pushed the velcro over the buttons of the shirt and turned to Rhett.

"How does it look?" He asked, and Rhett frowned.

"You don't belong in it." He said, and Link sighed.

"Well the government thinks I do, so I'd better get used to it." He said, and he sat down on the bed, inviting Rhett to join beside him. Rhett then flipped the phone camera to be facing them, and he sat down beside Link, reaching his arm out far enough for them both to be in the frame.

"I don't know what else to say." Rhett said, and Link reached down to grab one of his black boots, trying to force his foot into the tight leather-like material. He fell slightly out of the camera frame when doing so, only his back showing in the video, but when his foot popped into the shoe, he sat back up beside Rhett.

"Me either. We didn't have time to plan it out, so you're probably going to have to make another video later explaining some more stuff once I'm gone." Link said, and he reached back down to put his other shoe on.

When he's gone.

The short sentence tore through Rhett like a knife, and he was sure it showed on camera, but he didn't care. They both sat in silence for a minute as Link tied up his boots, and once he finished he popped back up into frame again and looked into the camera

"Well I guess I'm all dressed up now." He said, and Rhett could tell he was trying to fake a cheerful mood for the camera, a smile on his face, but his hands trembling in his lap where no one could see them.

"I guess you are. Do you want me to end out the video now?" Rhett asked, and Link shook his head no, standing up from the bed.

"This is the last video we're gonna make for a long time, and I want to end it right. Or at least, on some kind of good note." Link said, and Rhett stood up with him, looking at him in confusion. Then, without warning, Link wrapped his arms around the larger man, putting his head on his chest and squeezing tight.

"Oh- jeez Link why you gotta hug me so hard?" Rhett asked with a chuckle, and he put his free hand behind Links back, patting him and half hugging him back.

"I don't know. Just do." He said with a grin, and Rhett smiled back.

"I love you, brother." Link said, and just through the hug, Rhett could tell how shaky Link actually was. It was like someone had run a bag of ice down his back and that he was trembling from the cold. 

"I love you too, man." Rhett finally said, and Link let out a soft sigh.

"You sure you want to put this on the internet? The shippers are gonna be all over it if we do." Rhett said with a chuckle, and Link smiled, looking up at him.

"Give 'em something to enjoy, they won't be seeing us together again for a long time." Link said, and Rhett smiled, looking back over to his phone. When he did and saw what they looked like on the camera, and it definitely seemed like a gay couples kind of situation, but he didn't mind.

"See you later, mythical beasts." Rhett said, and he stopped the recording, still holding Link in his arms.

"You're shaking like crazy." He said, and Link sighed, unwrapping his arms from Rhett and taking a step back.

"I know." He said, and he held out his trembling hands, just to prove it.

"Are you scared?" Rhett asked, and Link looked as if he could roll his eyes at the man.

"Yes, I'm scared. I'm not ready man." He said, and he clasped his hands back together, trying to get the shaking to stop.

"You have to be." Rhett said, and he looked into Links terrified, blue eyes.

"I know, I know." He replied, and he lowered his head.

"We should go back out, so I can see Christy and the kids." He said, and Rhett nodded, pushing his phone back into his front pocket and following behind Link. Link pressed his bedroom door open cautiously, as if he were afraid of what would be on the other side, but when it opened, there was nothing there but a dark and empty hallway. 

He took a deep breath, walking into the hall, his new combat boots clicking against the wooden floor. The sound annoyed him, as if he were in tap shoes, but he ignored it and continued down the hall towards the stairs where he heard the voices of his family coming from. Rhett followed behind him, and as they walked down the stairs, there was no hiding the fact that they were on their way down as Links boots clacked against each step on the way. Once they made it to the bottom of the steps, everyone sat in the living room, their attention directed towards Link.

"Oh, honey." Christy said, and she stood up from the couch where she had sat with her children, walking towards her husband.

"Do I look that bad?" He asked with a grin, and she smiled, looking him up and down.

"No, I just, never thought I'd have to see you in this." She said, and he sighed.

"Me either." He replied, and he looked past her and at his children all sitting on the couch, looking at him as if he were some stranger standing in their living room.

"How much more time?" He asked, and she sighed, looking up at him with saddening eyes.

"Any minute now, Link." She said, and his heart sunk down to the floor for the second time that day. He thought he had at least another twenty minutes or so left until he had to leave, but apparently he had taken longer to get ready than planned.

"Well kids, do I at least look kind of cool?!" He asked in excitement, spreading his arms out to the sides, and they all seemed to perk up a bit.

"I think it'd look better in pink." Lily stated, and everyone began to laugh.

"I think so too, the green is kind of ugly if you ask me, but then I don't think I'd be very camouflaged." He said, and Lily let out a giggle, too. He then walked past his wife and Rhett, going over to the couch where his kids sat. He jumped up in the air and fell down onto the couch, landing betweent them on the middle cushion where Christy had sat.

"You're gonna break the couch, Dad!" Lando said with a giggle, and he tried to push his father off of.

"Hey, no I won't! Rhett's big butt hasn't broken it yet, so it has to be indestructable." Link said in a slightly sassy tone, and Rhett let out a hardy chuckle, everyone else bursting out into laughter with him. It was obvious that Link was trying to make what moments he had left with his family good ones, rather than sulking over what was inevitably about to happen, and Rhett respected him for that, because he knew that Link was actually falling apart at the seams. Luckily everyone was laughing and having a good time, until the dreadful noise came.

Three firm knocks on the door.

They all looked over at Link, and the color had fully flushed out of his face, silencing him. He felt as though he was either going to throw up, pass out, or run straight out the back door as far away as he possibly could, but instead he silently got up from the couch and walked to the door, Rhett protectively following behind him. 

Once he made it to the door he took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his throat and his head swaying from the anxiety that had build up on the way there. He grabbed the knob and turned it, slowly pulling the door opened towards himself. There stood the same two men, the ones that made Rhett wanted to jump over Link and strangle into the ground, but instead he stayed put, keeping his cool.

"I see you're changed. Ready to go, soldier?" The man that usually spoke with him asked, and Link gulped. Rhett winced at the name "soldier", not wanting Link to have such a title, but he knew he didn't have a choice.

"Yeah, just a minute. Let me say goodbye." Link said, and his voice resembled one a man who had just experienced the loss of a child. Low, broken, and weak.

"Ok, we're fair enough to give you that at least." He said, and Link turned back to Rhett. He stepped aside for Link, allowing him to pass through and go back into the living room where his family sat, and on the way there he could hear Link trying to steady his breathing. No one moved from their spots, and Link found that each of them were waiting for him to go to them to say goodbye, not the other way around.

He first walked over to Lily, who was standing tall, such a beautiful young woman she had become. Link reached his arms out, and she stepped into them, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I love you Dad." She said into his chest, her voice weak as she held back the urge to cry. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, one on her back, and one in her beautiful, wavy, dirty blonde hair.

"I love you too sweety. If you, your brothers, or your mom ever need anything, you can call Rhett. He's gonna be here for you guys." He said, and she sniffled and nodded her head, letting go of him and backing away. Once she did she started wiping her eyes, and Link wanted so badly to hold onto her and tell his baby girl that everything was going to be ok, but he was under restricted time, and he had to leave her there.

Next he moved on to Lincoln, who didn't give a second thought before crashing into his arms. Link hugged him, and he began to cry.

"Don't cry buddy, you're gonna be the man of the house for a little while now. Take care of your siblings and your momma, but don't be afraid to cry, ok? It's ok to cry." He said, and Lincoln too nodded his head.

"I l-love you." He muttered, and Link gave him one more tight squeeze.

"I love you too." He said, and then he let go, looking over at Lando who held a small paper in his hands.

"Hey Lando, whatcha got there bud?" He asked, and the boy kept his head low, handing the small piece of paper over to his father. Link gently took it out of his hands, immediately identifying it as a wallet sized family photo they had taken over the spring.

"Aww thanks Lando, I'll keep it with me everywhere I go." He said, and he pulled his youngest son close, giving him a quick hug just like the rest.

By that point the men at the door were starting to get irritated with him, so he stood up again and took his teary eyed wife into his arms, giving her a quick kiss and resting his forehead against hers.

"Be safe." She said, and Link held her tighter, as if to reassure her.

"I will." He said, not knowing if it was a lie or not, but he didn't care, he needed to at least let her feel like he would be ok.

"I love you." She said, and he looked her in her beautiful, beautiful eyes.

"I love you more." He said, and he let go of her, then turning to Rhett. He stood tall and strong, but there was nothing to hide the fact that he too had tears in his eyes. They both looked at each other, each knowing that a hug from each other would make them fall to pieces.

"So, this is it?" Link asked, and Rhett forced a grin.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Rhett said, and Link tried his best to grin back, tears forming in his own eyes. Both looked at each other and silently decided against a hug, and without warning, Rhett brought his hand up to his head in a salute. Link would have laughed at the action in any other situation, but instead he too lifted his arm in salute, grinning at the silliness of what he was doing, although it would soon be a very natural thing for him to do.

Rhett lowered his hand first, and Link followed, then looking at Rhett, and turning to the rest of his family. His three kids were clinging onto their mothers side, all staring at Link, and he gave them a smile.

"I love you guys." He said, and they all echoed the same words back to him, mostly doing so with broken voices. 

He then turned away from them, going to walk past Rhett, but he was startled when a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Come back alive, Link." Rhett said in a firm whisper, as it was a demand, and he subtly grabbed Links hand, pushing something into the palm of it.

"Ok." Link said, and he clutched the small item in his palm, not looking back as he walked out the front door of his home, leaving the most important people of his life behind.


	8. The Pin

Link was loaded onto a camouflaged army bus, not even getting the chance to look back before it drove off, not that he had wanted to anyway, if given the opportunity. He knew it would hurt him to turn around and watch as his house faded further into the distance, so instead of looking back, he decided to keep his head low and his eyes on the floor. It was easier that way.

His shoes clacked against the metal flooring of the bus, and he passed several people dressed just the same as him. Camouflage uniforms, all of them. Some women, some younger boys, and some slightly older men, but none seemed to be pleased about their situation. All of them were drafted into the army, just like Link had been, and there was no reason to be anything but dissapointed and upset about that. Part of them was happy that they were going to fight for their country and their freedoms, but the rest of them was filled with dread and saddness as they left their lives behind at the snap of someone's fingers.

Link had decided to sit down alone in the back of the bus, not ready for any kind of social interactions. He would either snap at the person or fall apart right in front of them if he tried to talk, so he moved himself towards the window where he knew it was safe. Alone.

He hadn't been on a bus like that one since his sophomore year in highschool, before he got his drivers license, and the experiences were much in the same. He wasn't happy, and no one else on there was. It was just the same as when he went to school many, many years ago.

The bus from highschool was almost exactly like the one he was sitting in. The seats were hard as a rock, covered in the same gray, plastic-like cloth that everyone would draw on or poke holes through during the short ride to school. The repeating design on the back of the seat was even the same, and Link traced his fingers over some of the patterns for memories sake, faintly remembering them from his childhood. It was A LOT like riding the bus to school in his younger years, just ten times more stressful and unpredictable. At least when he was going to school he knew what he was getting himself into each day as he climbed onto the bus, but this, this was on a whole new kind of scary.

The bus was driving him somewhere that he absolutely dreaded going to, and yet he was still clueless as to where this place was located. It was a dreadful ride, just like the ones in school where he would mentally complain and wish to be anywhere but on the rock hard seat headed to "hell". He had always wished to be somewhere like in the cool creek with Rhett, or back home playing videogames, but he was always there, watching as they got closer, and closer to the school.

The only difference between the two rides was that the school bus would come back at the end of the day to pick him up, but the trip he was currently taking would leave him with no return. There would be no bus to take him back to his family, his friends, his amazing job. It was a one way trip, and God did he wish it would just turn back.

He sat back into the hard seat with a  stressful sigh, closing his eyes and trying to find a comfortable position to sit in. His knees were jammed into the back of the seat in front of him, and his head fell above the back of his own seat, no headrest there to hold him up. He was experiencing what he imagined it was like for Rhett to fly long hours on a plane, and he immediately felt empathy for the man.

As soon as Rhett popped into his mind, he remembered the small item that had been placed into his palm upon his departure, and he realized that he hadn't even taken the chance to see what it was. He then saw how tense he was, because his whole hand had clutched tightly around the small object, as if he were somehow unconsciously in fear of losing it somewhere along the way.

He finally loosened his grip around the object, and when he opened his hand, there was a small metal piece resting in his palm. It's rougher edges had made tiny, red indents and crevices across the inside of his hand, and when he looked at the little keepsake, he was surprised to feel a smile curl up on his lips.

The object Rhett had given him was the spacecamp pin they had used for one of their scenes in Buddy System. One in particular that Link held close, and remembered very vividly. He had practiced fake crying for weeks before the shoot, knowing that they had planned on him tearing up during the spacecamp scene, and it ended up going off without a hit. Even with the fear of not being a good enough actor, and not remembering his lines, all piling ontop of him, he worked it out, only being so nervous about because of his typical anxiousness causing him to work himself up over nothing.

When he first stepped in front of the big cameras and under the bright studio lights, surrounded by the production crew to film the first episode, he was nervous, but it was for nothing. He remembered nearly all of his lines, only messing them up once or twice, and the two of them were able to get through the first few shots within a couple of hours. Link had walked into work that day more stressed out than he had ever been, and by the time they were leaving, he was having the time of his life.

He rubbed his thumb across the small, iconic pin, remembering the trouble they had gone through to get it. Neither of them had actually gone to space camp when they were younger, so they had to find the pin online, and it was worth celebrating when they had finally found it. It was surprisingly difficult to find, considering how much weird stuff was sold online, but they eventually found it on ebay, buying it as quick as their fingers allowed them to. It hadn't been in the best condition upon arrival, but it worked just as well.

Link hadn't even known Rhett had kept it. He took it off after recording the first episode of Buddy System, and misplaced it in their office somewhere out of his pure exhaustion, so as he was holding it in the palm of his still slightly shaky hand, he couldn't have been happier that Rhett kept it.

He took the winged pin and slid it into the pocket opposite of the picture of his family, not wanting it to damage the wallet sized photo, and once he put it away, he came back to his reality. The reality where he was being taken god knows where to train to be in the army. As he sunk back into the real world, he saw how much he would rather be looking back to his much happier past.

Even though he had to focus on the real world, he knew that with the pin, he would always be able to go back to happier times. Happier times like ones where he was doing what he loved with his best friend, and going home to the best family he could have ever asked for.

_How could I go from being so, so blessed and happy, to so damn unlucky in just two days?_


End file.
